Trainer Tested

“Why do you feel that your team needs to be trained?”

“What are the takeaways you expect from me?”

These are the two questions I ask, when I am being hired as a trainer.

Unlike physical regimens of soldiers and athletes, most managerial training sessions, irrespective of the settings, are often initiated and conducted without a defined purpose or end-state in mind. The question, what triggered the need to call a trainer, seldom elicits credible response. Training sessions, under such conditions are trainer-dependent and gravitate towards being ‘tales’ “full of sound and fury signifying nothing”. Such sessions are often recycled wide-spectrum templates. Training, if not specifically customized is no training. The state can be best compared to the difference between the well-fitted and the ill-fitted. Adequately customized training enables the trainee, to no end.

My experience with performers, consistent and erratic, brilliance that flamed out and winners who started slow ( i being one amongst them), taught me that inherent to each individual and organisation is the wherewithal and more, for growth sustenance and success. What is required, is a catalyst to initiate the search for inner strengths and fuel the journey ahead.

As a trainer, to be of any credible value, I had to empower myself with requisite knowledge and techniques. I spend a lot of time reading, researching, observing events as they unfolded and understanding the unseen and unsaid. My formal training in NLP, certainly helped. Real life events and the human dynamics behind it triggered the articles I wrote and published this year. I could finally derive a matrix for evaluating success.

Little did I realise that I would be tested as the year drew close. An acquaintance of someone, who had attended my programme got in touch with me to find if I can take on a session with 'few' teenagers. More out of my compulsion to be tried and tested in the most demanding of situations, I agreed.  The ‘few’ turned out to be more than 200 high-voltage teenagers, brimming and bubbling with endless energy. Four sessions of 2 to 21/2 hours each, in batches of 50 to 60, over two days should have been a killer. But, when participants, don’t want a break, don’t lose interest, give their undivided attention and ask for more, either they deviated from what is expected to be 'normal for teenagers' or my spurs were real solid.

My toil has been worth it.

As I wind up my activities for the year and head for the family vacation precisely in four days, I proved to myself that one element of my success mantra, ‘Skills’ (acquisition, absorption, adaption and application) really worked.

Few years ago I was overwhelmingly voted to be the mentor for my department. 
Now a few have adopted me as their mentor to help navigate a journey called life.

Skills certainly reward.

Infidelity, Orphaned Organisations & Managing Inadequacies

Fidelity : The Elementum ultimum?

Man or woman, whosoever first associated, infidelity with vice and fidelity with virtue, either was ignorant of basic human nature or a management expert. In reality, fidelity totters precariously between truth and lies while infidelity rages rampant. While professional counsellors wield fidelity as elementum ultimum for ‘marital success’, head hunters make a living, enticing the ambitious to look beyond existing relations. Ironically, both for marriages and career, parameters of success remain vague.

Choice?

Humans, polygamous by nature, are compelled to deploy monogamy to improve chances of all males finding mates. This benevolent practice, conceptualised by smart social engineers prevents violence inherent to sexual rivalry. Fidelity, the primary characteristic of monogamy is socially acceptable and infidelity, a taboo. Despite its adverse consequences, men and women of all cultures engage in emotional or physical infidelity. Amidst talks of fidelity and associated morality, infidelity silently rages rampant. Increasing incidences of ‘live-in’ relations, separations and divorces indicate that even conservative societies are coming to terms with peoples’ choice of being ‘happily together’ over length of laboured marital existence. Fidelity gets a better chance, albeit for shorter duration.

Grabbing Opportunities

Two decades ago, one joined an organisation, grew with it, grew in it and retired from it. Individual aspirations remained confined to opportunities afforded by the organisation. Leaving the organisation for another was akin to blasphemy. Those were yester years of pre-liberalised economy, when opportunities were scarce, steady job dreams come true and homes ran on single-income. Then the economy boomed, opportunities exploded, and incomes skyrocketed as even the remotely eligible found jobs. Headhunting became a rewarding profession. It thrived, enticing professionals to jump ship. Organisational infidelity is now the surest growth-hormone, for an individual’s career growth.

Rationale

The fidelity-infidelity divide can be best understood through the prism of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy model. It is man’s quest to bridge gaps between ‘felt’ and ‘fulfilled’ needs. When efforts to offset real or perceived deficiencies are made while existing in one relationship, by attempting to forge another, the effort acquires colour of infidelity. 

Orphaned Organisations

In a cruelly competitive environment, everyone in the hierarchy, is focused on growth and movement up the ladder. In situations where impractical, unassailable target is the norm, comparison of results an accepted performance evaluation tool, individuals tend to fudge data, exaggerate efforts, inflate severity of challenges overcome and create obstacles for rivals to steal the march over them. In such situations, uncertainty reigns supreme and everyone eyes for the first available ‘better’ opportunity and at the first possible chance they jump ship remorselessly. Organisational interest and growth have become by-products subordinated to individual success and glory. Individuals flaunt and use organisational infidelity as chips to bargain their way up the ladder. With so many suitors wooing the eligible, infidelity has become acceptable and rewarding, attrition has become an epidemic and retention of assets a challenge. Effectively, each individual orphans the organisation in favour of better pastures.

What an irony! In a society that considers fidelity as the bedrock of relationships, infidelity is an honourable option of growth. Is fidelity just hyperbole?

Exceptions

It is not that all relationships bound in fidelity are steeped in drudgery. Even in conditions of the rampant ship jumping, there are organisations which seem to enjoy a culture of long-term associations. Most individuals who join these organisations do not feel the need to jump ship. They necessarily do not pay their staff more than their competitors or contemporaries and may not even provide fancy designations and virtual ladders to climb.  These organisations few and far, still exist, grow and make profits. People on the rolls seem to be happy just being there. Surely, they too are human and have needs. What is it that makes these organisations different? HR practices of these organisations seem to liberate them from attrition worries. If lure of money, growth prospects and designations have been overcome and fear of asset attrition cast away, then companies can actually focus on competency building and save the huge outflow associated with recouping attrition losses.

Certainly, there cannot be a panacea prescribed.

Each organisation should have to discover the magic potion for itself.

AMBULANCES – SHOULD IT RUN AMOK?

Outrunning Death

Sirens wailing, lights flashing, ambulances zip through traffic as if nothing else exists in their way. Mortals admire his ability to turn traffic chaotic and even negotiate through it. It seems that his heroics alone, in carting the afflicted to hospitals at lighting speeds, is enough to prevent ‘the end’ and ensure survival of the patient. To us the public, he our saviour can outrun death.

What happens in the hospital at the emergency room or casualty is something different. Lightning speeds and driver’s daredevilry notwithstanding, the patient becomes one amongst many medical emergencies and receives a very informed and calibrated response, often mistaken by the near and dear ones as heartless apathy and callous complacency.  

Hailing Ambulances

Ambulances are used to evacuate accident victims or patients in emergency. It is common belief that, if a patient is ‘somehow’ ferried to the intended hospital fastest, survival and recovery stand better chances.  Thus, it has become a norm for drivers to fly ambulances over omnipresent potholes, ricocheting over unmarked humps on a ‘surface’ called road, chock-a-block with unyielding traffic and unruly people poised to strike at the slightest provocation. Knowing how emergencies are managed in hospitals, it is time to consider the need for ambulances needlessly rocketing all over.

Evacuation Woes

The maximum damage inflicted upon a victim after an accident happens during extrication from the wreckage. Unfortunately, the first respondents are inevitably people who have no clue of handling trauma. While many happily film the event, others shamelessly slip away. The few who dare, in their exuberance to extricate, drag the victim out holding whichever limb or part thereof they can first reach. In most cases rescuers, ignorant of the injury already suffered by the victim, unintentionally aggravate the condition. The victim’s ordeal doesn’t end there. Whatever damage is left to be inflicted or can be inflicted occurs during the reckless ride to the hospital.

Other medical emergencies are no different.

Imagine the state of a patient being evacuated in a medical emergency involving heart attack or asphyxia.  The speed with which an ambulance covers crowded and winding roads negotiating heavy traffic worsens the patient’s condition.

Mistakenly, speed seems to be the ultimate response.

Speed or Care?

Speed seems to be necessitated because it is important to provide medical attention without loss of time. Ambulances without requisite medical expertise on board resort to speed. If the requisite quality of medical care can be provided on board the ambulance, speed becomes inconsequential. An ambulance should ideally be moving the fastest to reach a victim or patient. Having reached the patient, its movement to hospital must be deliberate and with medical attention on board. Ambulance must have trained doctor or paramedics, adequately equipped to manage such emergencies. Ambulances should transform from merely being carriages to mobile intensive care units capable of providing medical support to stabilise the patient so that required medical interventions can happen immediately on arrival.

Timely medical support is of essence, not speed.

Role of First Respondents

Modern automobiles provide high degree of survivability and protection to occupants if safety instructions, like fastened seat belts or well secured helmet, are adhered to. With most of the impact absorbed by inbuilt crumble zones, many occupants escape from crashes with minor injuries. However, with the scant regard we have for safety norms, most individuals involved in accidents sustain grievous injuries. In such cases people who arrive first at the site become rescuers. Unaware of how crash victims should be rescued and prepared for evacuation, first respondents in their eagerness unwittingly aggravate injuries causing irrevocable damage to the victims. This can be avoided.

Enablers

NGOs, governmental bodies and organisations involved in social work must launch awareness programs to educate people on how to respond to medical emergencies and accidents. Various audio visual and print mediums of mass communication, including social media tools and street meetings must be employed to prepare the society to handle emergencies individually and collectively.  Simultaneously, ambulance services be mandated to upgrade on-board capabilities. Government must create a medical emergency response grid and all hospitals must be mandated to be part of the grid.

SUCCESSION : TAIL GATING VERSUS TRAIL BLAZING

Succession, ideally should be one of the key issues a CEO must deliberate on, if he is an organisation’s man.  Each ‘growth-thirsty’ organisation in its life-cycle will have to grapple with the question of succession many times over.

After me, who?

Options

Succession dilemma may not bother governmental organisations since someone would invariably move up on seniority or be picked up on considerations that might have nothing to do with organisational health and growth. Business entities that crave longevity and profitability can ill afford such complacence. Growth oriented organisations often have well charted systems and practices for succession. Deciding who in the hierarchy moves forward to critical positions is not limited to the CEO’s chair alone. It applies to every key organisational position. In all these conditions, choice between ‘Tailgating’ and ‘Trailblazing’ assume importance.

Tailgating

Tailgating is a practice where an individual high in the hierarchy consciously or otherwise allows creation or creates a chain that owes allegiance to him or her. Members of this informal, extra constitutional entity are conspicuous by the official and personal freedom they enjoy with each other. Cared for by those ahead and supported by those below, members in the chain rise in ranks and often succeed the one ahead in chain. These individuals normally wag  and tag along with the boss in their journey up the hierarchy besides being insulators. These closed-circuit, symbiotic interpersonal and group relationships are demi-professional arrangements built up over a period of time. Convenience and not competence is the bond keeping them together. Being part of the clique, growth of individuals within the organisation is catalysed and assured. While bonhomie and convergence in opinion characterise such arrangements, considerations other than organisational interest take precedence, eventually turning detrimental to organisational interests

Breeding Grounds

Fortunately, such chains mostly breed and thrive in bureaucratic organisations where numbers don't necessarily have to speak. These extra constitutional entities overwhelm formal channels and effectively snuff out meritocracy. Incompetence and inefficiency can be compensated with subservience, performance and accountability overlooked by favouritism. Many proprietary entities tend to nurture this culture eventually paying the price.  Corporate houses that accept and promote tailgating also end up being penalised by the market.  When crisis hits such organisations, the chain with the tail intact, aware of the fact well in advance, manages to jump the ship lock, stock and barrel, only to infect another organisation.  

Trailblazers

There are always a few in every organisation who stand out with their individuality and performance. These people are characterised by originality of thoughts and sincerity of purpose.  Innovative, firm and fearless, they are generally outspoken and are mistakenly considered, rash and difficult. The ideology driving them is openly known and they rarely deviate from what is professed. Characterised by their skills and expertise they become backbones of their organisations. Though they may not be quick to accept failures and mistakes, they are usually open to reason and ready to mend ways. They can effectively spearhead change, explore new avenues and venture into the unknown with equal zeal. They blaze the trail as they move and in whatever they do, leave their characteristic stamp of quality.

Difficult Choice?

On the face of it, the choice between the two is not difficult to make.  But in practice it is not so. Many placed high in the hierarchy normally tend to pack their work space with people who conform to their thought process. This helps them enlarge their comfort zone and provide a false sense of security. They do not realise  that they by encouraging a coterie are effectively insulating themselves from environmental dynamics. Trailblazers normally do not belong there. It takes a high degree of organisational tolerance and belief in oneself to accept trailblazers in one’s company. 

Outcome 

Fortunately, there are many bold organisations and individuals who take that risk. The result? Products and services galore that one never ever imagined.

The choice is not difficult.

But  questions remain ! 

Are you willing to groom a trailblazer to hold the reins?

Is your organisation trailblazer compliant?

COMMUNICATING WAY UP THE SUCCESS LADDER

Who doesn't want to be rich, famous and powerful?

Who doesn't want to be successful? 

Success, to almost all of us, is being rich, famous and powerful. But are these the only manifestations of success? What happens when one hits the apogee? How does the CEO of a mega business empire seek to continue his rise in positional hierarchy? Does his success hit the wall? How does an individual, having become the premier of a super power continue his success story? Has he too hit the wall? Does the flux in the Forbes list indicate climb to and fall from success?  

Talk on the subject at MILIT, Pune

Irrespective of the organisation one works for or the society one lives in, everyone wants to succeed.  It is this yearning to succeed that drives humans to excel. Success, simplistically defined by dictionary as ‘accomplishment of a purpose or aim’, encompasses things much beyond mere achievements. It is perceived, understood and experienced differently by everyone. Thus, an attempt to contain ‘success’ in universal definition is an exercise in futility. Yet, to fathom its expanse there is a need to broadly define success.

“Success that Lasts”[i]

There is an unending list of publications and papers on various aspects of success. Market is flooded with books that prescribe easy ways to become successful. If all those who read it became half as successful, with so many dying to be rich, famous and powerful, there could be a stampede in every shop that sold such books and those who authored such books would either have already been hiding somewhere or spending time in captivity tutoring those who abducted them.

Amidst this maze of publications, a research paper titled “Success that Lasts” was published by Laura Nash and Howard Stevenson in Harvard Business Review issue of February 2004. It introduces, “Happiness, (Feelings of pleasure or contentment about life)”, “Achievement (accomplishments that compare favourably against similar goals others have strived for)”,  “Significance (the sense that you made a positive impact on people you care about)” and “Legacy (a way to establish your values or accomplishments so as to help others find future success”, as four irreducible components of “enduring success”.

According to the paper, each factor, characteristically different, satisfies different needs of an individual and draws on distinctive emotional drives. Low probability of simultaneous and significant achievements in each of the four categories notwithstanding, the authors claim that deficiency in any one component makes success feel less real.

Abraham Maslow and Success

If one delves a little deeper into the article, on can correlate and superimpose the research findings over Abraham Maslow's hierarchy model. While ‘Achievements’ form the building blocks of success and caters initially to physiological needs, the accomplishments that achieve “significance’ relate to social and esteem needs. In further pursuits when one reaches higher in the hierarchy to sublime levels, legacies are created. If “happiness”, is not an integral element in the efforts of the individual, then, pursuit of success is likely to be short lived.

Secret of Success

There is something sinister in the way success grants audience. There are millions trying ‘tested’ and ‘proven’ ways and means but don’t ever get anywhere near success whereas there are few, seemingly with nothing, who break the ceiling. Business schools are flooded with such case studies. Their meteoric rise, in almost all cases, were fuelled by some USP. Like market dynamics that ensure high profit margins for USP driven goods and services, success adopts exponential path for ‘the unique’ while those copying proven success formulae must content with incremental growth. Though, copying "Habits of the Ten most successful People " would definitely help us understand successful individuals better, the outcome is normally a rich and happy author besides a reader looking out for more ‘easy ways’ to be successful.  Seldom discussed and often missed out is one trait common to all successful people, their power to communicate.

The secret of an individual’s success, embedded deep in his very being, is the manner in which he communicates. Communication referred to here, is not about glib smart talk, but about serious intra / inter personal communication and resultant actions.  Much like a powerful source of light that brightens large areas, meaningful effective actions and interpersonal communication can emanate only from strong foundations of intra personal communication.

Intrapersonal Communication

Intrapersonal communication is a form of self-talk between the subconscious and the self-conscious. For it to be effective, it must originate from competencies that have been identified or created and then nurtured and refined by meaningful catharsis that are guided by strong belief and convictions. If an individual finds happiness in this process, it eventually becomes a self-sustaining reinforcing cycle that promotes continually and consistently improving competence. The fundamental building blocks of success germinate from unique ideas backed by strong competencies and unwavering conviction in the probability of its success. Creating a rationale (why) is inevitable to sustain a pursuit that would turn arduous at some stage. It is this "why" that would fuel the fire that eventually creates legacies.

Empowering Intrapersonal Communication

The first and foremost requisite for fruitful intrapersonal communication is ‘belief in oneself’.  Despite all misgivings about oneself and negatives one would invariably receive in the arduous journey to the zenith, it is important to start believing in oneself, and steadfastly enough sooner than later.  After all, if one cannot truly believe in oneself, one cannot expect others to.  In order to reinforce self-belief, it is very important to repeatedly affirm faith in one's sense of purpose and abilities. This would swiftly lead to objective evaluation of one's own core competency and thereafter its improvement.

In order to remain committed and to persist with the success-journey, it is important that one restate one’s commitment as often as possible.  As time goes by one starts to hear the inner voice louder, clearer and more supportive. Soon, self-doubts ebb away and vanish, barbs and ridicules become inconsequential and the light within shines bright enough for others, first to see and then follow. Then, it is time to sow goals to reap success.

Setting Goals

It becomes easy to set goals in a clutter free realm of intrapersonal communication.  While setting goals, it is often the individual who limits his reach.  There is no end to dreaming big, thinking big and then reaping big.  It is difficult to aim high and miss it, but easier to aim low and hit it.  However, it will be easy and motivating, if goals are calibrated for the time ahead and written down, in as much specifics as specific can be. It would definitely help if these goals can be fed with the existing core competencies of the individual. Else time has to be set aside for achieving requisite competencies.

The Dubious Safety Net

Conditioned by value systems, self-doubts and fanned by fears of the unknown individuals become their worst critics and their own nemesis. Human brain is hardwired to ensure safe, smooth and obstacle free existential journey.  While it may risk inconsistencies occasionally, it normally forbids individuals from taking risks. Thus, human brains are conditioned to follow the ‘status quo’ providing us a path of least resistance. Sight of silent suffering majority subjugated by violent minuscule minority in communities across the world is the result of status quo brains that perpetuate “boiling frog” syndrome across cultures.

Status quo option apparently ensures one a safe journey in life, but it will certainly be as one faceless entity in a teeming million. In such a journey one can forget creating a legacy or of being any relevance. This, at its best, is existence and not living. Success in such a journey would be limited to meaningless longevity of life with nothing worth the time spent. In order to create something worthy of being called "success", one needs to get rid of the safety net, overcome fear of failure and pursue life with hope of success. It is often said that there are no hopeless situations but people who have grown hopeless about the situation. 

Interpersonal Communication

Armed with requisite competencies, standing atop strong foundations of value driven self-talk, safety nets can be cast off while dealing with the world outside.  This manifests as meaningful purpose oriented interpersonal communication. Self-belief and strong competencies naturally and effortlessly transform one's body posters and signals it sends out.  Contemporaries and competitors would without fail, take note of the strong sense of purpose and invincibility effortlessly emanating from such an individual.  Negotiations and bargains naturally turn in their favour and their ability to motivate colleagues and compel adversaries to fall in line becomes legendary. When one really stands on firm terra firma, there is no need to put on facades to hide inadequacies. While many who fake it, end up being arrogant, in the false belief that it could be seen as confidence.  But such masks seldom last beyond one meeting.

Climbing the Success Ladder

In order to climb a success ladder, it is important for one to first decide the legacy one wants to leave behind, to whom and to what extent one should become relevant.  One must then earnestly set out to acquire requisite competencies. The defining moment in the journey comes when one befriends one’s own subconscious and learn to harness its might through seamless communication. Casting out the fear of failure and setting out in the hope of success would help one achieve success that can truly be called legacy in one's own lifetime. The journey to success starts with the communication between the self-conscious and subconscious.

---

[i] Success that Lasts, Laura Nash and Stevenson Howard, Harvard Business Review February 2004

A Business Winning Hearts - Can Goodness Drive Business?

Tricolour with Pride

On the Independence Day, our National Flag is hoisted with pride across the country.  Government Institutions, individuals and even commercial organisations hoist the National Flag. While governmental institutions are mandated to hoist the Tricolour, private citizens and commercial entities do it out of pride.  Commercial entities however, do not hesitate to use the event as an exercise in ‘image building’. In fact, I feel, it is good for an organisation to draw on nationalistic pride, provided they really mean it.

When, I was approached, by Mr Satish, the manager of one such organisation, to unfurl the National Flag on the Independence Day, I readily agreed. I wanted to utilise the occasion to address the gathering about our duties as citizens and increase awareness about defence forces.

Brilliant Organising Skills

Having spent most of my life in uniform, punctuality is integral to my existence.  I had made it clear to Mr Satish. I was elated to see Mr Satish arrive exactly at the appointed time to pick me up and we reached the venue dot on time, despite the detour forced upon us by flooded roads. I was pleasantly surprised to see more than 400 people, all employees of the organisation, each one neatly dressed, standing in orderly manner. It felt like walking into an army unit ready for inspection.

The function was meticulously organised and concluded with all of us enthusiastically singing the National Anthem. The flawless manner in which the event unraveled rivalled an Army function. The command and control of the organisational hierarchy, the willing and automatic compliance to instructions already given and unity of purpose was very visibly evident. There was something more than mere employer- employee relationship that was at play. It was the sign of healthy organisational climate. I was eager to identify the cohesive force.

Beyond Footfalls

Discussions with people can become real learning experiences if one has requisite skills and patience. If carried adequately long, conversations with people reveal the real organisational dynamics at play, however hard they attempt to mask. If the employee’s trust has been won, one can get to know the real organisation, in flesh and blood beyond the glittering facade.

Subsequent to the event, I sat down to an informal cup of coffee with Mr Roju Mathew, the senior most employee of the organisation and got him to talk. He was neither the proprietor masquerading as ‘chief worker’ nor one with any shares in the business. He was just an employee – a dedicated happy employee who has been with the organisation for 22 years and has climbed the ladder from the lowest step. He seemed to be in complete control.

In the course of the discussion I told him that, I had been to his organisation many times as a customer and felt that there was tremendous scope of enhancing the footfalls and converting the existing casual footfalls into benevolent ones. I also told him about my experience in managing CSR and my personal involvement in rehabilitation of the flood victims of 2018 in Kerala.

I found myself unprepared to handle the information I was made privy to.

Heart of Gold

If what he told me was true, I was getting to know about a businessman with a heart of gold. The proprietor I was told, got about 250 houses constructed for the victims of the flood that devastated Kerala in 2018. I was told that no publicity was given to any acts of philanthropy by the individual.

With regards to the reluctance to tap the business potential inherent to casual footfalls, I was informed that peripheral activities are run not for profit, though they are not in loss. Because he was making sufficient profits in his core business activity, he continues with peripheral business activities despite inadequate ROI because a large number of families depend on it for their sustenance.  Even when he could easily maximise profits by closing down the not so attractive ones, he continues with it because it provides livelihood for a large number of people.

I think, I stumbled upon the connect that held the business model in place. 

It may be proof that even good hearts can be engines of sustainable growth.

Kudos to the big heart.

Claims & Disclaimers

1. I have never ever met the proprietor. I am not even distantly related to him.

2. I don’t have any stakes or shares in this business. 

3. I have written this article based on my personal observation and purely on the inputs gathered during the conversation with the staff. 

4. I don't expect and will not accept any remuneration for the article from this business house. 

5.The details of the philanthropic work done by the businessman have not been verified by me on ground. However, I did see photographs of the houses said to have been constructed.

Are All Superiors Leaders?

Much has been researched, written, read and taught about leadership and authority. Experts have classified leadership depending on the approach adopted. Types of leadership and levels of authority enjoyed notwithstanding, everyone, including those at the very end of the chain wish to rise in hierarchy. Inevitably everyone, in due course, gets to be entrusted positionally with authority. While methodology of exercising authority is personality driven, effectiveness of leadership depends on how subordinates receives it.

Superiors, irrespective of realm and reach, yearn for unquestioned acceptance, wholehearted adherence, enthusiastic compliance and unfathomable respect. But, history bears testimony to the fact that different individuals occupying the same position of authority over the same chain, evoke dissimilar responses in terms of acceptance, adherence, compliance, relevance and reverence.

Are all superiors leaders?

Superiors

Since functional hierarchy is unavoidable for an organisation’s survival, everyone in the chain would either be superior or subordinate to someone else in the chain. Simplistically put, anyone ahead in the chain of hierarchy becomes superior and those below subordinate. Anybody, regardless of personal qualities, can become a superior in the chain of hierarchy and superiors enjoy ‘positional authority’. In order to ensure viability of the hierarchy, legal obligations on adherence to directions of superiors are invariably built into the system. Transgression of positional authority thus risks liabilities and creation of obstacles to one’s forward movement within the hierarchy.

Leaders

Leadership is all about people, their values and aspirational goals. It is the noncoercive ability of an individual to compel or motivate those around him to accept his ideology and perception so as to synergise their thought and action in convergence with his. It is a ‘soft power’ that an individual wields over others. There is something in a leader that evokes the nature of subordination witnessed. Scholars often attribute it to charisma. Real leadership charisma comes through competency and ability to irrefutably place others’ interests much before one’s own.

Human beings, though social, are selfish in nature. People willingly surrender autonomy of their thought and action to another individual only when their individual aspirations are really or seemingly furthered, even if it is in the long term. Individuals become leaders when others, individually and collectively, continually transfer autonomy of thought and action to that individual. An individual capable of motivating those around him to willingly surrender autonomy of thoughts and accept the resultant agentic state commands authority of leadership.

Authority

Authority is the ‘right’ of an individual to exercise powers conferred upon him and enforce compliance of his directions by those placed under him. Hierarchical and constitutional positions come with prescribed authority and everyone subordinate to such authority is normally aware of the limits of such authority.

There are instances of individuals, normally referred to as despots, wielding unlimited authority. Though propaganda machines endlessly hail them as great leaders, they are not. They subordinate masses through repressive regimes. Such subordination ceases when kernels of dissent, over time, become storms of resistance that blows away oppression.

Positional authority enjoyed by superiors dictates and demands allegiance and adherence. However, superiors’ area of influence remains restricted to functional and geographical limits prescribed by the organisational structure. Subordinates eventually accept positional authority only where such position is of relevance and only as long as it suits their interests.

Authority that stems from leadership transcends positional authority and breaks organisational barriers. Unlike the authority granted by position, authority from leadership is normally conferred by the very same people who have invested their faith and allegiance to that individual's leadership. Authority wielded by a leader is personal, voluntarily ceded by followers and therefore the least resented. Authority inherent to leadership that evokes willing subordination of the masses is sublimely different. Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela are glowing examples where masses willingly accepted agentic state granting them unassailable authority. Even adversaries had to cede ground.

The Choice: Superior or Leader?

Modern markets do not offer much space and time for experimentation. Cost of investments that bleed organisations and uncertainty of market dynamics necessitate ruthless policies to push up bottom lines, decimate competitors and reap profits, fastest and earliest. HR assets, for most managements, happen to be just another element of the complex matrix, that must be exploited towards profitability.

Faced with unnerving turbulence, organisations opt to pack its hierarchy with ‘superiors’ known to set stiff targets and flog their team to achieve the impossible. They don't hesitate even to poach even from their own competitors. These individuals, focused on devising means, right or wrong, to manoeuvre earnings, may through stick and carrot elicit compliance and adherence. But they are the least of leaders. They may succeed, short term, but they inspire neither their subordinates nor superiors. Sooner than later, they lose out to smarter ones who device faster, meaner methods to push up bottom lines.  Attrition, of the team they work in and of themselves, normally consumes this breed. They impede organisational growth.

Leaders on the other hand command allegiance of those around, eliciting performances beyond what even their followers think they are capable of.  They forge unity within the team and instill a strong sense of belonging. It does not mean that ‘leaders’ cannot be aggressive and will not be able to achieve short-term targets. With every follower, considering himself a stakeholder for success or failure, probability of success far outweighs that of a failure. Success under a leader lasts longer for an organisation than the gains made by a flogging superior. 

Organisations are faceless, deaf, dumb and mute entities.  Life, nature and culture of an organisation comes from its people. It makes good business sense to staff organisations with people for whom success of the organisation is seen as their own.

Leaders alone can make that happen. It makes sense to invest in grooming leaders rather than creating superiors.